- Date of Release: 23 June 2023
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Language: English
No Hard Feelings
Introduction
It is still a Thursday and just a day away from the weekend but before the new releases begin to pour, I thought of squeezing in a review from the International Circuit which was in my watchlist before the weekend Tsunami that took place previously. With that, I finished watching the new English film No Hard Feelings starring Jennifer Lawrence. And quite honestly, though s*x comedy isn’t my favourite genre, my main motivation to watch the film was Jennifer Lawrence. Not only does she look like a million bucks but is also a fabulous actor who has tine and again proved her mettle with films like Red Sparrow or The Hunger Games. And I was curious to see on how she tackles a genre which would quite honestly objectify her. To top it, the film did garner some glowing reviews from some top critics that made me even more curious to watch the film. So then does No Hard Feelings manage to impress, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
No Hard Feelings follows the story of a woman virtually bankrupt, who lands herself a job at a rich household. Her task is to make a 19 year old fall in love with her and make him break his virginity before he goes to college. The story here is raunchy, fluffy, cringey yet fun, all at the same time. While the story is a bit of a hit and a miss with its s*x comedy, it scores in some of the serious moments that put forth the vulnerability of the characters quite well. The screenplay standing at about a 100 minutes ensures that the drama is light and breezy without too many deviations.
The drama has a frivolous tone to it right from the beginning with the introduction of the protagonist whose car is being towed away. You can make out that she is in debt and fast running out of money while almost flaunting her looks to buy her some time. After doing several odd jobs, she finally finds herself a job to make a 19 year old rich introvert guy to fall in love with her before he sets off for college. This might seem like a far fetched idea on paper but it does amount to loads of fun with its raunchy humour.
The proceedings are fairly interesting and after a while I could just sit back and leisurely watch a light hearted drama. And that is what it stands for as well. It does not intend to take itself seriously with some frivolous situations created. This includes a hilarious nude fight on the beach which had me in splits. But the comedy doesn’t always score while being reduced to cringe at times too. The events are slightly repetitive that causes a drag in the screenplay. But the drama does score when it tends to look beyond its frivolous facade.
There are genuinely heartwarming moments interspersed in the screenplay when the characters open up to each other about their vulnerabilities. That does add a little weightage to the otherwise frivolous drama while also not losing focus of the humour. And yes, there are plenty of s*xual references to keep you invested as well. The resolution of the conflict was a bit of a suspect for me and it didn’t quite score with its underwhelming final act. But, the screenplay still accounts for a fun watch while staying true to what it had promised to deliver.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational but with a streak of raunchy humour that is inherent in most scenes. And that does add to the fun quotient of the drama. The BGM is decent, the cinematography captures some breathtaking visuals(yes ‘that’ included) that enhances the viewing experience of the viewer. The editing is sharp and crisp. Director Gene Stupnitsky does a good job in creating situations which are funny while staying true to the tone and pitch of the drama in hand!
Performances
The performances are pretty good as well. Natalie Morales as Sara and Scott MacArthur as Jim have their moments to shine. Laura Benanti as Allison and Matthew Broderick as Laird are first rate. Andrew Barth Feldman as Percy is terrific particularly in scenes wherein he showcases his vulnerability. And that scene featuring him playing the piano accounts for a beautiful moment. Jennifer Lawrence as Maddie looks drop dead gorgeous and pulls off her character with a sense of playfulness along with moments of resilience. She is impeccable with her comic timing and definitely plays to the galleries with her bold and unabashed act.
Conclusion
No Hard Feelings is a frivolous drama which is fluffy, cringey, raunchy yet fun all at the same time resulting in a good one-time watch.